Suffering From Leg Cramps? Know the Possible Causes

Do you often feel tightening in your muscles, especially in the legs? You often feel pain and contraction in your leg when you fall asleep or when you wake up. You feel a strong pain that lasts from a few seconds to few minutes. Then you must be suffering from the muscle cramps. It mostly affects the thigh and the foot and may also affect other parts too. There are various things that cause cramps and several things you can do to prevent it from happening.


Possible Causes:

1. Not Enough Water-

One of the most possible causes of leg cramps is that your body is dehydrated. Leg cramps are alert signal that your body needs some water. You may also suffer dizziness, headache, and constipation. It is essential to keep your body hydrated throughout the day to prevent painful leg cramps.


2. High Temperatures-

Your body becomes water deprived if you work or exercise in the scorching heat and increases your likelihood of getting muscle cramps.Due to excess heat, your body loses important minerals such as sodium, potassium, and calcium in form of sweat. So it is suggested you to avoid unnecessary visit in high temperature or keep water bottle with you to escape cramps.


3. Medications-

If you are on certain medication then you are at great risk of getting muscle cramps due to the side effect. Medicines that are used to control cholesterol and medicines which are diuretic in nature release more fluid from the body that leads to leg cramps. So consult with your doctor to prescribe new medicine if you experience any side effect.


4. Sedentary Lifestyle

Your desk-bound job or sedentary life style may also be one of the possible reasons of your leg cramps. It gets worse as you get older or if you are not active. In-activeness decreases the blood flow in the body and can also cause a medical condition called claudication. You should consult your doctor if you observe this kind of thing.


5. Exercise-

It is necessary to stretch and exercise to stay active and healthy. But doing too much all at the same time can make your muscle cramp. You can also suffer from it if your body is not used to it. So, be sure to warm up and stretch before and after exercise.

When to Call Your Doctor

Muscle cramps are not a serious condition but in case if you experience it frequently you should consult with your doctor.As it could be the sign of some other medical condition such as thyroid disease, cirrhosis or heart disease.

" STAY INFORMED, STAY HEALTHY"